PORTALES, N.M. – It will be a fun-filled evening at Steve Loy Family Foundation Stadium as Eastern New Mexico will host No. 11 Central Washington Saturday. Before the game kicks off, please read the 4th & 1 Preview:

First Down – Greyhound Recap: ENMU is coming off a 36-15 loss to Midwestern State. The game saw several lightning delays forcing the game to conclude just past 11 p.m. The Mustangs controlled a majority of the first half as they took advantage of favorable field position and earned a 16-0 lead over the first 25 minutes of the contest. Eastern got within eight points late in the second quarter after a touchdown run by Chad Ragle and a successful two-point conversion from Cooper Hamilton, but MSU never saw its lead get within a single possession in the second half. ENMU outgained its opponent 421-379.

Second Down – In The Slot: Running back Ja'Calvin Newsom has led the Greyhounds on the ground each of the past two games. The Albuquerque, N.M. native posted 135 yards on just ten carries and a score in the loss to MSU. In a road defeat to Angelo State, he rushed 15 times for 83 yards. Newsom has 356 yards on the ground and three touchdowns just four games into the season. He has soared past his rushing totals from 2023 when he had 28 carries for 212 yards and a pair of scores.

Third Down – Top Cats: Central Washington was selected the preseason favorite to win the Lone Star Conference this season. They also swept the preseason players of the year on both sides of the ball. Running back Tyler Flanagan was chosen as the offensive preseason player of the year while his teammate Tanner Volk was named the defensive preseason player of the year. Both players have began the season on a strong note. Flanagan has totaled 299 yards on the ground along with six scores. Volk leads the team with 28 tackles and posted a pick-six in a dominating win over West Texas A&M. The LSC favorite also boasts a quarterback who can control the game in two ways. Kennedy McGill leads the program with 332 rushing yards and has thrown for 584 yards. He has three touchdowns through the air and three through the ground in 2024. Defensively, a breakthrough player for the team is Chase Loidhamer who has 5.5 tackles for loss this season. One year ago, he recorded his career-high with eight tackles in a win over Eastern New Mexico.

Fourth Down – Looking for History: Central Washington leads the overall series with Eastern New Mexico, 3-0. This will be the third time the two programs have met in Portales. The first meeting 2021 saw CWU earn a 66-24 win. They followed that with a 45-17 result in 2022. In 2023, the two foes met in Ellensburg, Wash. in a tight 38-35 battle. Mario Sanchez will be making his third start against the Wildcats. In 2022, he went 11-of-20 through the air for 88 yards and a touchdown. He added 81 yards on the ground with 13 carries. In the 2023 matchup, Sanchez threw 7-of-8 for 93 yards and a score. He also added 53 yards on the ground on 15 carries and a touchdown.

&1 – Homecoming Festivities: Eastern New Mexico is celebrating Homecoming with several activities around the Portales area. Women's cross country will run at 8:30 a.m. and men's cross country will compete at 9 a.m. The women's soccer program takes to the field at 10:30 a.m. and men's soccer will compete at 1 p.m. Volleyball will play at the arena at 2 p.m. and that all leads up to the football game. Tailgating begins in the morning with alcohol consumption allowed at 2:30 p.m. Various activities will be setup in the tailgate area so fans can get prepped for kickoff. The Dawg Walk will begin at 5:15 p.m. ENMU will recognize New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame recipient Larry Hays with an on-field recognition. Hays graduated from Eastern New Mexico in the 1960's and had a successful coaching career at Lubbock Christian, Texas Tech, and Colorado Christian. For those unable to join the Greyhounds at Steve Loy Family Foundation Stadium, please watch the stream on FloSports or catch the game through KSEL Country.